1. Field of Invention
This invention pertains to the field of exercise equipment. More particularly, the present invention relates to an exercise machine providing isolation and strengthening of a user's upper back and shoulder muscles.
2. Description of the Related Art
In the field of exercise equipment, it is known that a person can strengthen the muscles of his/her arms, legs, and torso by utilizing exercise equipment in which they assume prone or reclining positions during the manipulation of hand weights in a vertical direction, or during repetitive arm movements while manipulating levered or pivoting mechanisms connected to weights. Various devices have been developed to accomplish strengthening of a user's upper torso muscles, as disclosed in the following U.S. patents.
U. S. Pat. No.Inventor(s)Issue Date4,720,099R. B. CarlsonJan. 19, 19884,730,829R. B. CarlsonMar. 15, 19884,804,179R. J. Murphy, et al.Feb. 14, 19895,556,363K. M. HutchinsSep. 17, 19965,637,063B. R. Fuller, Sr.Jun. 10, 19975,692,997K. W. StearnsDec. 2, 19976,234,941Y. S. ChuMay 22, 20016,394,936H. C. VorisMay 28, 20026,394,937H. C. VorisMay 28, 20026,533,709G. A. JonesMar. 18, 2003
Of these patents, the '179 patent issued to Murphy, et al. discloses a multi-function exercise machine providing a reclining position on which a user reclines below a suspended bar which is manipulated in pull-down exercises, or the user reclines proximal and forward of a pair of levered arms which are manipulated in forward pivoting exercises for conditioning the abdominal, chest and arm muscles. The exercise machine provides guided tracks along which the levered arms move in forwardly curved paths when gripped and moved by the user's arms. The forwardly curved paths of the pair of levered arms extend in front of the user's body when sitting, thereby exercising the pectoralis muscles of the user's chest. The configuration of the pair of levered arms forces the user to move his/her arms from an elevated position to a forward position, or from a side position to a forward position relative to the user's chest. The levered arms do not allow the user to outwardly extend and laterally move his/her arms for pushing against side units positioned adjacent to the user's sides and which are resistive to lateral movements due to connection with various amounts of stacked weights. Further, the pair of levered arms of the '179 patent do not allow a user to reciprocatingly move his/her arms laterally outwards from the torso, nor does the '179 patent allow for tensioned recovery movements of the arms laterally inwards to positions adjacent to the user's torso, while supporting weighted side units and thereby selectively strengthening the user's upper back muscle groups.
Chu, in the '941 patent, discloses an exercise machine providing a pair of downwardly extending and front pivoting arms which are positioned for rotational exercising the pectoralis chest muscles and to perform a chest press and a fly-type exercise consisting of a forward pivoting movement for the user's chest and arm muscles such as the pectoralis and biceps muscles. The front pivoting arms are supported by a pair of knuckle sockets and knuckles for rotation about a right and left knuckle axis, with the respective pivoting arms extending downwards for gripping by a user when positioned below the pivoting arms. Arm movements toward the user's chest are accomplished by the rotational movement of each spaced apart front pivoting arm, thereby providing for tensioned movements in a forwardly and crossing direction across the user's chest. The front pivoting arm movements disclosed by the '941 patent provide for frontal manipulation of the pectoralis muscles of the chest and the biceps muscles of the arms, but lacks the ability to provide outwardly extending and laterally directed arm movements pushing against a weighted unit, and does not provide for isolating and focused strengthening of each muscle group supporting the upper back.
Voris, in the '936 patent, discloses a multi-function exercise machine providing resistance for exercising the upper torso and arm muscles by providing a pair of downwardly extending front pivoting arms. The front pivoting arms are supported above the seated user along a central pivoting axis having stacked rotational joints with bearings allowing for rotation of the front pivoting arms relative to the central pivoting axis extending downwards through the user's torso. The '936 machine allows for one or both front pivoting arms to be manipulated in a forwardly and circular direction across the user's chest, but without allowing for outwardly extending and laterally directed arm movements pushing against a weighted unit and thereby lacking the ability to isolate and focused strengthening of each muscle group supporting the user's upper back.
Jones, in the '709 patent, discloses a standing push/pull exercise machine in which the user is positioned in a central position while manipulating hand levers in alternating forward and rearward movements with his/her right and left arms alternating in direction in order to strengthen the user's forearm muscles, biceps, abdominal muscles, gluteus and leg muscles. The '709 machine requires right and left pivoting devices on which weights are supported, and which are moved in alternating forward and rearward movements adjacent of the user's right and left sides. The '709 machine does not allow outwardly lateral motions by the user's arms, nor are arm movements allowed with the palms of the hands directed outwards from the user's sides.
There exists a need to provide an exercise machine which allows lateral arm movements which isolate, constantly tension and strengthen each of a user's muscle groups of the upper back and shoulders. An additional need exists to provide an exercise machine which allows a user seeking to strengthen his/her upper back to repetitively extend laterally outwardly and return laterally inwardly either one, or both, of the user's arms in order to push against weighted units positioned laterally adjacent to the user's shoulders. A further need exists for an exercise system providing a method of exercising in which a user fully extends laterally outwards and reciprocatingly retracts his/her arms relative to the torso while pressing against side units providing constant resistance to movement, in order to isolate, tension and strengthen each of the user's muscle groups of the upper back and rear shoulders.